Field
The present disclosure relates generally to securing network infrastructures, and more particularly to racks, enclosures and other mounting structures for mounting network devices, and lockable cover assemblies used to secure the network devices.
Description of the Related Art
Data centers and telecommunication rooms house network infrastructure components and network devices, such as switches, routers, servers, storage devices, patch panels, and other electronic equipment, installed on racks, in enclosures, or cabinets, or other mounting structures. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rack 10 is generally a metal frame used to mount network devices, and resembles a shelving structure where network devices can be attached to the rack vertically and stacked one top of one another. Generally, individual network devices 22 are screwed onto a front surface 12 of the rack 10, which has tapped holes 14 (or cage nuts) spaced apart to accommodate network devices having various heights. The standard unit of measure for designating the vertical usable space in a rack, or the height of racks, is the letter “U” preceded by a whole number. This unit of measurement refers to the space between shelves on a rack. For example and referring to FIG. 2, a 1U network device has 1 rack space for network equipment, and has 1.725 inches of vertical usable space. As another example, a rack designated as 4U has 4 rack spaces for network equipment and has 7 inches of vertical usable space. Rack spaces and the network devices that fit into them are all measured in “U”. While racks come in many different heights, the standard width size rack is 19 inches.
Physical network device security has been a growing area of concern for data center operators and vendors alike. The concerns vary from simple protection of the network equipment from occasional tampering, to fully securing the network equipment from all undesired access, and any type of tampering, sabotage, theft or other action that can cause disruption to the network.
Racks are typically placed in secured rooms as a first line of security to limit access to or unauthorized removal of the network infrastructure components and devices. A rack refers specifically to the frame that provides a structure for mounting the network equipment. A second line of security is typically the utilization of rack-mounted enclosures that restrict access to the network devices and their mounting points within the security enclosure. A third line of security is cabinets. Referring to FIG. 3, a cabinet 16 is a rack fitted with a door 18 and side panels 20. Cabinets secure the network devices by restricting access to every network device within the cabinet 16 when the door 18 is locked. Rack mounted enclosures and cabinets work well when the desire is to restrict access to all network devices within the enclosure or cabinet, and when there is sufficient space for the enclosure or cabinet within the installation area. However, in many instances restricting access to all network devices within a cabinet is not practical or required. For example, many potential service personnel from many different vendors may need access to the data center and the network equipment to conduct testing and provide repair services. Unlocking cabinet 16 to allow various service personnel to work on a single network device exposes all network devices within the cabinet to theft. Further, the addition of cabinets adds more complexity for such testing and repair service personnel in terms of limited access to the interior of the cabinet, which increases service times and costs. Further, the cost of the cabinets and the additional space requirements increases the overall cost of the installation. There are also cases within a cabinet or an enclosure where multiple user access is granted and there is a need to further secure certain high-value or high-risk components.
Accordingly, there is a need, among other needs, for an easy to use rack security enclosure that has relatively strong structural integrity, and is reconfigurable to meet the need of securing one or more rack mounted network devices and supporting multiple heights.